Jon Buss, who has equated liberalism to a mental defect, decides to grade Biden on is first year in office (“Biden’s first year is an all-around failure”, published March 16). As usual, his letter is almost totally devoid of any facts — just his usual warped opinions.
Some examples. Trump handed Biden a booming economy: False! The economy was in the worst shape since the Great Depression, and deeper in debt then since the end of WWII. In all honesty, this wasn’t entirely due to Trump’s policies — although those policies certainly didn’t help — but was mostly due to COVID and its effect on the economy.
Gas prices: Biden shut down the Keystone pipeline. False! The Keystone pipeline has been pumping oil to the midwest and Texas since 2010 and is still doing so today. The Keystone XL pipeline — which, by the way, Jon might appreciate this, was established by a foreign company seizing property of American citizens by eminent domain — would have taken years to have any impact on oil prices, and almost all of the refined product from the existing pipeline is and has been shipped overseas. Finally, gas prices are extremely high all over the world.
Purging the military of Trump supporters: False! While Biden is working on removing Trump appointees in high military positions, the military leaders themselves have started looking hard at Trump supporters and white suprematists in their ranks, as there were many current and past military members who participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Middle East: It was Trump who told the Taliban that he would withdraw all troops from Afghanistan with virtually no concessions from the Taliban, so it was in the Taliban’s best interest that the withdrawal go smoothly. Also, it was the Islamic State that killed our service members, not the Taliban. Finally, for the most part, any sensitive military equipment left behind in the withdrawal was rendered inoperable or destroyed — anything still serviceable needs specialized tools the Taliban doesn’t have access to.
Border Security: It’s true there has been an upsurge in attempted border crossings, but Biden has continued Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy.
Foreign policy: Jon, have you really been paying attention? Trump cozied up to dictators like Putin and Kim Jung Un, all the while alienating nearly all of our allies who thought he was a joke and an embarrassment. He was even openly laughed at at the U.N., and he wasn’t trying to be funny.
Supreme Court: So, McConnell denies Obama’s appointee even being considered because it was an election year, even though the election was several months away, and then rams an ultraconservative judge through with days left until Trump’s election, and you’re complaining about Biden’s promise confirm a black woman? Sorry Jon, that just doesn’t hold water.
Harris: No evidence presented, whatsoever, of her incompetence, period!
Finally, Obama being the worst president ever: Sorry again Jon, Obama has consistently been voted the best president of our lifetime.
Take your head out of your *** and look at a fact once in a while Jon. Just sayin’.
Larry Benson
Enumclaw
